Thursday, December 08, 2011

....I'd love to share with you something that I hope will make your life easier!

I mean, PEOPLE! It's DECEMBER!! Gasp! If you've been in denial like I usually (ok, still) am, you're just starting to realized that with the hustle and bustle of the holidays that there's just not enough hours in the day to get all that you need to done. Right?!

So I'm here here to help!These super easy holiday cards are so quick that it will knock one more "to do" off your list in no time. These cards are no more than a few strips of paper wrapped in twine for instant hand-crafted cuteness that be sure to please anyone on your holiday card list.

I actually used our gorgeous BasicGrey JOVIAL line for these cards, but they can easily be adapted to our latest Nordic Holiday or anything else you might choose.

1. Trim cardstock into 5"x10" strips. Run them through printer to add your desired sentiment a 1/2" from the bottom of the strip.

2. Fold cards in half and round the bottom two corners.

3. Trim a 5"x4" block of one patterned paper and adhere across the top of each card.

4. Trim a 5"x1/4" strip of the same patterned paper and adhere just under the sentiment of each card.

5. Trim a 5"x1" strip of yuor second patterned paper (we prefer a vertical stripe here for contrast but it's up to you!) and adhere across each card 1 1/2" from the bottom.

6. Trim 5"x1/4" strips of the third paper using a scallop border punch. Adhere across each card directly under the strip from step 5.

7. Adhere a snowflake diecut (here we used our awesome Sizzix/BasicGrey template) to the horizontal strip of each card approximately 1" from the right side.

8. Wrap twine around each card and tie in a bow right over the snowflake diecut.

9. Secure snowflake with a glazed brad (or any brad/button) and you're done!

Now you can go mark one more thing off your holiday chore list! And with all that free time you have, don't forget to still check out BasicGrey's countdown to Christmas on their website (www.basicgrey.com). There are tons of great freebies and recipes and more as our little gift to you!

But you didn't think that was it, did you? Of course not! I can't let you try and make some cards without some PAPER...and some stickers as well! No way! So here's the drill:

Please leave your name and what you still have "to do" on your holiday list in the comments and you can be entered to win a NORDIC HOLIDAY collection pack of BasicGrey for your very own! This giveaway will end without any further notice so get your name in now! Please only one entry per person!

Uhh, what don't I have left to do! Nothing is wrapped yet and I still have gifts to buy! Thank goodness my family loves gift cards. :) Thanks for the chance to win the gorgeous Nordic Holiday collection!

Lovely cards! I always have the habit of getting my list done early, as I like to savor the last few weeks before Christmas without any of the traffic, hustle, and bustle. So, I am pleased to say that I only have one gift card left to buy, and am waiting on one more gift to be delivered. :)

I started off great but somewhere along the way this week things went downhill fast! I still have to get my cards made, not to mention mailed, finish wrapping gifts and I still have some to buy yet! Ugh! And I'm hoping with all I have the two I ordered online come in on time. I never order online because it always sends me into panic mode.

My tree isn't even decorated yet!! Most gifts are bought (only thing I do have done). I have to get gift cards for oldest daughter (college student). Decorate tree. Mail Christmas cards. Wrap presents. Bake cookies. Set up Christmas village. Sheesh!! I have lots to do. I should go get some of these done! :)

Oh wow, your cards are looking so pretty! I love the cute bells. I actually still have a lot to prepare for Christmas. I'll first have to make at least 15 extra Christmas cards...I'm way behind on them this year;)

Gorgeous cards - love those Jovial papers. My to do list - write in & mail Christmas cards; make card sets to give as gifts; make gift tags; finish shopping for gifts (all the hard-to-shop for people are still on my list!); wrap gifts. I'm pretty sure there's more but that's enough to stress about for now!

I still have to:-Make ~90+ cards and send them out-Prep the Christmas meeting of my daughter's Girl Scout troop-Buy my niece a gift-Get giftcards for 2 nephews -Wrap gifts and ship them-Go phone-shopping with my son.-Get something else for my hubby-Bake and package goodies for teachers and neighborsACK! I've never sat down and figured out how MUCH I have left to do! Deep breaths, deep breaths...

I haven't hardly started yet, so there is plenty to do on my list! I want to make some cards, bake some cookies, shop and wrap a few gifts (keeping that very low-key this year!) and put up my tree and decorate a bit! All that in between working! Kinda overwhelming! Oh, and I have to make 14 ATC cards and one handmade gift by Tuesday too!DeniseB

There are sooooo many things I still have to do!!! Like buy and decorate a tree, get the last presents and wrap everything up beautifully, make pictures for Christmas cards and so on... *lol* I'm way behind on my schedule! ;)

I have a lot of to-dos! Including making holiday cards. I'm pulling out some older BG Christmas lines to use. Such a fast way to complete some tags and cards! I will post them to my blog hopefully this weekend!

My to do list...hmmm....well make christmas cookies, buy some gift cards to send, oh and make 6 more christmas cards to send out. Thought they were all finished, but had a few more last minute ones to do.

We just finished the last of our Christmas shopping (OK, except for the doll that our granddaughter changed her mind about). But I do still need to make about 5 cards and this is the perfect inspiration. Thanks!

Love these cards, so creative. Thanks for sharing.I have everything left to do, can't believe I am sitting at this laptop with so much to do. My husband was told 2 months ago his job was eliminated as of December 19, we have put all gatherings and such on hold and this week he found out he got a job he applied for and so we have resumed the holiday festivities.Thanks for the opportunity to win, Merry Christmas.Debbie B.

I still need to finish up my cards and mail them. Finish shopping and wrapping gifts. Finish the baking and package up all the goodies. Oh yeah, and finish the decorating. I need to get off the computer and get busy! :)Have a Merry Christmas!

I have everything left to do...Cards to make and mail...cookies to bake and distribute...presents to buy/make and wrap...tags to make...decorations to make and hang up...set up the tree...it just goes on and on...but I think I'll start with the cards, since I have the Jovial set from Basic Grey...that one should go quickly thanks to your help! Thanks for sharing and the chance to win is a bonus!

Great cards!!So here's my TO DO list:-create some more christmas cards- buy presents (haven't even started yet, I am a terrible person!!!)- finish up my menu- ...and so many other things I haven't thought of yet!!!!Thanks for the chance to win!!And good luck with your to do list!!

Just sent in my Christmas Card order. They will be ready to pick up on Sunday and will be in the mail on Monday. So, while it's still on my list, I feel like it's been crossed off, since designing them is always stressful. With 2 teenage DD's, choosing the correct photos is a BIG deal!

I haven't really done anything - no gift buying, no decorating, no card making, nothing. I just started feeling in the spirit in the last few days looking at everyone's great holiday projects just like yours. So it's time to get it in gear. Thanks!!

What do I have left to do? Just about everything! Busiest year ever for me; busier than when I was raising 6 kids, and I am supposed to be retired. Go figure. I did put up a few decorations, and I am done with shopping for the 10 grandkids. Hopefully, tomorrow we will get the tree and I will start baking.

OK, you don't really want to know what I have to do. It's pretty much everything. I have gotten a few gifts out of the way and lots of blog hopping with Tim Holtz and Kerri Bradford and Lori Whitlock and so my mind is full of inspiration that just needs to be released on all the stuff I still need to get done!

Wow! I still have so much to do. If I truly want to enjoy my 2-week break (I'm a teacher), I should really get some marking done so I won't have to drag it home for the holidays...Plus, I need to finish making my cards, shopping for gifts...that's plenty right?Thanks for the awesome givaway ;)

These cards are elegant and simple..just how I like them! ty for sharing.My to includes..making 10 paper gift boxes (shaped like picnic baskets) and filling them and coloring stamps for,and assempling 3 handmade calendars! TOO MUCH?? perhaps! but I will cram at the end and lose sleep..lol

Yikes! I have so much to do! Off to a slow start. Had a death in the family, an adult child moving home due to economy and now getting over strep! Overdrive starting tomorrow: Saturday = power shopping and Sunday = all day baking session! Tonight was rest up for a busy weekend with stamping blogs - ahhhhhh :)

I need to sew a quilt...that's all! Hmm....not taking on too much this year, you think?Small family so not as hectic as some. Remember to enjoy some real quality time and if you have to just let a few things go..so be it.Happy Holidays

I have a few things still on my Todo list, but lucky for me I used BG and already finishe dmy cards and even managed to write in most of them today... but i still have about half my pressies, all my food planning and a lot of other bits and bobs to go!!! Thanks for the giveaway though, it is very calming ;-)

I have so much still to do: tree only has lights and still needs finishing, cards are not even started and likely will be store bought, Christmas letter still needs to be written, shopping not done. But on the "glass is half-full side", my house is clean and half decorated, pumpkin bread made and in the freezer, cookies & party mix are made, and I'm taking a class that will give me a complete Christmas album ready for pictures by next Sunday. So, life is good! Love your card and might even be able to send out a few hand-made cards along with the store-bought ones. Thanks for sharing.

I love all of Basic Grey's paper collections, but their holiday collections are the best out there! I love the way you've used the patterns on your card layouts - they're really stunning, yet nice & simple for this time of year. Thanks so much!

Left??? Everything--shopping, some decorating, and card making!! Today, a cold Saturday will be devoted to the latter. Put some holiday music on, the Christmas tree light (which we finished decorating lat night), and get crafty!!!

My to do list is still pretty long, christmas tree, presents wrapping (even buying in some cases...) and most cards are yet to be done!! Positive thing is I have now finished my handmade presents!! OK, that was the fun part...but still !!

My to do list is too long to even post! I have an album for my MIL, a couple of trays to trick out, presents to buy, all my baking, packing and travelling... but today, yes today, I will accomplish much!!

great cards. got all the gifts now I just have to wrap them...and put up the tree so there's someplace to put them...and get stocking stuffers....and bake cookies...and I guess I'm not quite as ready as I thought!

My to do list is still a mile long and getting longer. Does that happen to anyone else? The more you do on it the more gets added? My biggest to do is the handmade gifts for family and friends. Guess what next week's excuse for excessive crafting is going to be - teehee.

I love the Jovial line and happy that I still have some in my stash! But, I also love the Nordic line and just bought a tiny bit recently...Thanks so much for the tutorial...as for a to do list, it is toooo long!! - finish decorating and cleaning- make christmas card and get out the door- finish shopping- wrap- plan my holiday meals

Still to do? Just about everything!! Instead, I'm stalling and catching up on favorite blogs. It's the procrastinator in me. Each year I stall, and each year I manage to get done what's important:-- cards & letters-- annual family calendar-- help my mother with her cards-- getting my gifts to Toy & Joy-- making donations in friends' names in lieu of gifts-- getting together with family & friends to just enjoy each other's company

Probably too late but my to do list is very long- the first order of business is find presents for some unexpected guests- this is GREAT- the more the merrier but it does mean I have to venture into the hot mess that is holiday mall shopping.

Beautiful card Kelly! OH I have so many items on my "to do" list, on the top is to make cookies, finish writing the cards (and then send them out), bake cake, plan Christmas dinner menu..I could go on! :)